Modules

Background

The modules presented below are a series of online competency-based learning modules developed to provide you with a foundation of knowledge before your participation in the spring client consulting project. Irrespective of your major at ISU, the content provided in the modules is valuable. Following successful completion of all of the modules, you will be eligible to meet with your consulting team.

These modules and the team aid your participation in an interdisciplinary project calling upon your self-motivation, self-management, and hands-on work using the design thinking process. These foundational topics have helped to fast-track students looking to launch careers in today’s most competitive and exciting industries. For example, professionals frequently call upon ISU’s Career Center and Internship Coordinators to recommend students with these competencies for internships and full-time employment.

Modules

Self Awareness: This module introduces the competency of understanding yourself, which is the honest exploration of personal strengths, weaknesses, and values. A review of descriptors of self is provided to students to make their perceptions of self more complete. The goal is also to give students more tools to enhance their understanding of the connections between their feelings and actions.

Leadership Principles: This module strives to develop participants’ awareness of basic leadership principles. The goal is to develop a competency in leading a positive workgroup and skill in distinguishing the differences between leadership, management, and power.

Conflict Resolution Strategies: This module will develop competencies associated with interpersonal conflict. Participants are exposed to strategies for identifying the different types of interpersonal conflict and how to select conflict management strategies.

Design Thinking Principles: This module focuses on a methodology comprised of tools to encourage innovation and solve problems. Specific focus is placed on problem and project definition, research and analysis, concept development, and prototyping. Competency around each of these areas will be developed to understand this project-based workflow to solve problems.

Project Management Tools: In this module, a basic competency in project management will be developed by focusing on project planning and monitoring. Particular attention will be paid to project initiation, execution, and closure. Tips for documenting projects are also be provided.

Grading

Unless special arrangements have been made in writing with an ICC Coordinator, students who have not satisfactorily completed the assessments by the due date will not be able to participate in the project.

Assessment: pass/fail. To balance skills on project teams each student reviews and completes an assessment for each module. Students will have an opportunity to redo any assessment on the rare occasion that completed work is below the minimum threshold for participation. If students cannot surpass the minimum expected performance threshold after a second effort they will be asked to wait until the next academic year before being placed on a client project team. Scores on module assessments have no impact on a student’s GPA or standing at ISU.

Modules: self-awareness, leadership, conflict resolution, design thinking, and project management. You are encouraged to complete the modules in the order presented. For the design thinking content, read and complete assignments embedded in the PPT files in the following order: 1) problem and project definition, 2) research and analysis, 3) concept development and 4) prototyping & testing.

Assessments will be a combination of multiple choice and short reflection papers. To complete all modules, the total estimated student commitment is 10 hours of work for the entire fall semester. Those students with more exposure to these topics may require less time, but this time will vary by student.